Chairman Jeff Shi says he’s as excited about Wolves’ future as when he arrived eight years ago, and Gary O’Neil is central to that optimism.
The head coach and his backroom staff signed new four-year contracts this week, following a promising first season at the helm, which included a number of standout victories, comfortable Premier League finish and place in the last eight of the Emirates FA Cup.
Now, with all eyes on 2024/25 and beyond, excitement is building, with the men’s first-team recently returning from pre-season in the United States, and securing O’Neil’s signature for the long-term was a key moment for Shi and the club.
“I’m always very excited about the future and we want to do more,” Shi said. “We want to make fans happy about us. Even after eight years, we feel it’s just the start of a long and successful period for the club. We are at the starting point and Gary is key, so we are happy to have a very young, talented and outstanding manager.
“I think the club has a positive future, building a new cycle for growth, better results on the pitch and ambitions to realise. To prepare for that, we need a very good team and I think Gary is a key member of the team, maybe even the most important member, so we are very happy to have him here for the long-term. The team together – me, Gary, Matt Hobbs and all the staff – we are working very closely to prepare for the new season.
“When you have a strong connection with the club, the staff and players, it’s easier for you to have a connection with the fans. The whole city, we’re one unit, and I think the whole city breathes life together with the club. If the club is like a team, then the whole city will be like a team too.”
O’Neil arrived in Wolverhampton five days before the new season last summer, but a promising performance on the opening day at Manchester United provided signs of what was to come during a positive campaign at Molineux.
Shi works closely with O’Neil and sporting director Matt Hobbs regularly at Compton Park and, after eight years and five previous managers during Fosun’s time with the club, the chairman has been impressed by how the 41-year-old conducts himself day-to-day.
“He works very hard and is very humble. He might be the humblest manager I have ever worked with and one of the most hard-working coaches I’ve ever met. His strengths are around his tactics and his chemistry with the players.
“Of course, he talks more with Matt Hobbs, but I talk with him also, and it’s very easy to speak to him, to understand him, because he’s quite straightforward. He respects our views and listens to me very carefully to understand what I want to say. Then he describes himself to me very clearly and we are very effective.
“It’s very easy to talk with him, and even though we’re from different areas, and he’s a coach and I’m chairman, it’s not hard for us to find chemistry and mutual understanding quickly. It’s very easy to speak with him.”
The former midfielder is only five years retired, which Shi believes has helped him transition into management seamlessly, and last season proved the most productive for the many of the club’s first-team players under O’Neil.
“Sometimes I feel it’s because he’s so young and not long retired, so sometimes he works like a player. It’s easy for him to build a connection with the players and he has a lot of respect from all the players. We are a team fighting together, and this kind of relationship between Gary and the players, I have never found that in my career here. It’s something special.
“The first thing is about the players themselves. If you can improve the players massively, you have a very good foundation to build a team. A lot of players have improved a lot under him over the last year. I think it’s his strength and I’m very happy for the club – if we have lots of good players, it’s very good for the future, for our capacity to go forward as a club.”
Out in the States, Wolves faced West Ham United, Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig, providing tough pre-season opposition in warm temperatures. Between matches, O’Neil’s coaching staff assembled a testing schedule, typical of the hard work they’ve consistently put in across the past 12 months.
Assistant head coach Tim Jenkins, first-team coaches Shaun Derry and Ian Burchnall, head of goalkeeping Neil Cutler and first-team coach analyst Woody Dewar have all put pen to paper, which Shi also believes is crucial.
“The coaching team is important to the head coach, and I think the team is stronger. The supporting team have been working here for one year, so we know them very well and we can have more productivity next season. It’s always about the team and in the Premier League you win or lose as a team, not one or two people.
“It was the first time we’d been to America during my time here. We made a lot of effort to have a good trip in the States, with tough training and games for the players, but also a very good environment for them. In Spain, Miami or Wolverhampton, it’s the same – preparing for the new year. The true test will come in the first game.”
